Plasma display devices using plasma display panels (hereinafter abbreviated as PDPs) serving as self-emission video displays have the advantages that thinning and larger screens are possible. In the plasma display devices, videos are displayed by utilizing light emission in discharging discharge cells composing pixels.
In the plasma display device, the PDP comprising electrodes on a pair of transparent glass substrates, a chassis member for holding the PDP, and a display driving circuit block mounted on the chassis member constitute a PDP module (see Patent Document 1, for example).
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a part of a conventional AC-type PDP. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A shown in FIG. 15, and FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line B-B shown in FIG. 15.
As shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, a plurality of display electrodes 4 each comprising a scanning electrode SCN and a sustain electrode SUS are formed in a stripe shape on a first glass substrate 1. A light-shielding layer 5 is formed between the adjacent display electrodes 4. A dielectric layer 6 is formed so as to cover the scanning electrode SCN, the sustain electrode SUS, and the light-shielding layer 5 on the first glass substrate 1, and a protective film 7 is further formed on the dielectric layer 6.
The scanning electrode SCN comprises a transparent electrode 2a (see FIG. 16), and a bus 2b (see FIG. 16) composed of silver or the like electrically connected to the transparent electrode 2a. The sustain electrode SUS comprises a transparent electrode 3a (see FIG. 16), and a bus 3b (see FIG. 16) composed of silver or the like electrically connected to the transparent electrode 3a. 
A plurality of data electrodes D, which are covered with an insulating layer 9, are formed in a stripe shape on a second glass substrate 8. Bulkheads 11 are formed parallel to the data electrodes D on the insulating layer 9 between the data electrodes D. Red, green, and blue fluorescent layers 12 are formed so as to cover a surface of the insulating layer 9 and side surfaces of the bulkheads 11.
The first glass substrate 1 and the second glass substrate 8 are arranged opposite to each other such that the display electrode 4 and the data electrode D are perpendicular to each other. A discharge cell 13 is formed at an intersection of the data electrode D and the display electrode 4. Rare gas that is at least one of helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), and xenon (Xe) is sealed as discharge gas into the discharge cell 13. The red, green, and blue fluorescent layers 12 respectively cause the discharge cells 13 to emit light in red, green, and blue.
Then, FIG. 18 is a diagram of an arrangement of electrodes in the PDP. As shown in FIG. 18, M scanning electrodes SCN1 to SCNM and M sustain electrodes SUS1 to SUSM are arranged in a horizontal direction, and N data electrodes D1 to DN are arranged in a vertical direction. M and N are respectively arbitrary natural numbers.
As an example of gray scale expression driving method for the PDP, an ADS (Address Display-Period Separation) system will be then described. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the ADS system. In the ADS system, one field ( 1/60 seconds or 1/50 seconds) is divided into a plurality of sub-fields on a time basis. In an example shown in FIG. 19, one field is composed of eight sub-fields.
Each of the first to eighth sub-fields comprises an initialization period T1, a writing period T2, a sustain period T3, and an erasure period T4
In the initialization period T1, an initial setup pulse Pset is simultaneously applied to all the scanning electrodes SCN1 to SCNM. Thereafter, in the address period T2, a write pulse Pw is sequentially applied to the scanning electrodes SCN1 to SCNM and a data pulse Pda is applied to the selected data electrodes D1 to DN in synchronization with the write pulse Pw. Thus, sequential address discharges are induced in the selected discharge cell 13.
Then, in the sustain period T3, a sustain pulse Psc is applied to all the scanning electrodes SCN1 to SCNM and a sustain pulse Psu is applied to all the sustain electrodes SUS1 to SUSM. The phase of the sustain pulse Psu is shifted by 180° from the phase of the sustain pulse Psc. Thus, sustain discharges are induced in the discharge cell 13 that has been subjected to address discharges in the address period T2.
Thereafter, in the erasure period T4, an erasure pulse Pe is applied to all the sustain electrodes SUS1 to SUSM. Thus, erasure discharges are induced in the discharge cell 13 that has been subjected to sustain discharges in the sustain period T3, so that the sustain discharges are stopped.
The operation is performed over all the sub-fields. Here, the respective numbers of sustain pulses Psu and Psc differ depending on the sub-field. The luminance of the discharge cell 13 displayed in each of the sub-fields is determined by the respective numbers of the sustain pulses Psu and Psc. Consequently, gray scale expression can be made by appropriately setting the respective numbers of sustain pulses Psu and Psc in each of the sub-fields.
[Patent Document] JP 2807672 B